Survival
by Goddessofwomen
Summary: Daryl and Merle meet Layla and then the rest of the group. Eventual Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 1

**So this is the first chapter, let me know what you think. Cause if you like it, I'll keep writing.**

Layla watched from her car, as people gathered in groups and worried aloud. Eventually she got bored, and got out. She stretched and found a couple of guys watching her. She stuck her tongue out at them, and walked over to where they were sitting. 'Hey,' she said, and they both nodded. 'I'm Layla, got any idea what's going on?' She asked. The younger one nodded, but it was the older one who spoke. 'I'm Merle, this is Daryl. An' as far as we know, the worlds pretty much ended. People's dying and waking up and biting you.' Merle said. Layla nodded.

'Well I figured that out for myself. What I meant was, what's going on up there, is it full already?' She said, pushing her hair out of her face. Merle nodded. 'Looks like it, plus they only take in the people they want. I highly doubt they'd take us in.' Layla nodded, thinking hard. She doubted they'd let her in either. She had bruises all up her legs, and cuts and scratches on her arms and face. Not to mention she had sleeves, and piercings. She was wearing black boots and denim shorts. She had a long vest top on, black too. Her hair was chocolate brown, and she had big green eyes. She looked at Merle and Daryl. Merle was the taller, but his hair was thinning, and he looked meaner. Although he seemed polite enough to her. Daryl was stocky, well built arms, and he carried a crossbow.

She spent the rest of the night with them, sitting in their truck, they siphoned the gas from her car, putting some into the truck and some into containers. She put her bags in the bed of the truck, and sat on the bonnet, her legs curled under her, talking to Merle and Daryl. 'So where are you from? You don't sound American?' Merle asked. Layla nodded and smiled.

'Nah, I'm from England, near London. I came over here to do some travelling.' She told them. Merle nodded. 'What's it like over there?' He asked. Layla smiled.

'Well you can't own a gun. But drugs are easier to get hold of. Plus police don't really bother with you if you live in a bad area. Not to mention, we're allowed to drink in public so long as you're not causing trouble.' Daryl and Merle nodded. Layla watched as a marine walked over. At least he looked like a marine. 'Hey, you guys ok?' He asked, Layla nodded and smiled. Merle and Daryl looked at each other. 'Yeah, I'm Layla,' she said, holding out her hand, he shook it. 'I'm Shane. Listen a couple of us are gonna take off, and find a place to camp for the night. You guys looked like you could take care of yourselves, so I thought maybe you'd like to come. Not to mention, your truck looks a little full.' Layla looked at Merle and Daryl, they nodded at her. 'Sure why not, we'll follow you.' She said and Shane nodded.

They ended up at a quarry, there was a couple of stragglers, singles or friends. A few families, a pair of sisters, and old guy in an RV, and a asian guy. Merle and Daryl had a tent with them, Layla had her duvet and her bags. They put up the tent, and Layla squished herself in the middle of them. She fell asleep listening to Merle's snores. When she woke, they were both gone. She staggered out of the tent, and sat at the campfire, where a middle aged woman was cooking. She smiled at her and introduced herself. 'I'm Layla,' she said. The woman smiled, and handed her a plate of food. There was eggs and a little meat, and some bread. 'Um, thank you, but I don't eat meat.' She told her. 'That's ok, more for Sophia,' she said, taking the meat away and giving it to the little girl next to her. 'I'm Carol by the way, this is my daughter.' Layla smiled at them.

Merle and Daryl wandered over, Daryl with squirrels hung on his back. Merle sat next to her and passed her a cigarette, and she smiled gratefully. She moved away from Sophia, and Carol noticing, smiled at her warmly. Merle and Daryl followed her lead. 'Got us some squirrel for dinner,' Daryl said showing her the dead animals. Layla flinched and looked away.

'I don't eat meat.' She said, and Daryl nodded, and moved the squirrels away from her. Merle looked at her in horror. 'Don't eat meat?' He asked. 'You some kind of hippy?' Layla laughed, and shook her head. 'No I'd just like to not kill animals, they didn't do nothing to me.' Daryl nodded. 'But you gotta eat,' Merle said. She shrugged. Merle shook his head in despair.

They spent the rest of the day organising their things, and getting to know the others. Layla watched some of the kids for an hour, so that their parents could get things sorted. When dinner rolled around, she sat next to Daryl, and chatted with him about his crossbow. She leaned back, her legs stretched out, arms behind her head. She felt pretty relaxed but she wasn't going to let her guard down. She didn't trust any one of these people. Well, maybe Daryl and Merle. But only a little. Daryl watched her silently. She decided to walk down to the lake, to wash up, her hair felt disgusting and she was sure she smelled just as bad. She grabbed a towel and some clothes and headed down to the lake. The sun was just setting, as she stripped off and waded out into the water. She cleaned herself up and walked back to the beach. She dried off, and pulled her underwear on. There was a rustling noise, and she turned to find Merle and Daryl watching her. She stuck her fingers up at them, and Daryl looked away blushing. Merle grinned and licked his lips. She pulled on her shorts, and then her vest top. She pulled on socks and her boots too.

'Enjoying the view, Merle?' She asked, and Merle grinned.

'Well, it's a pretty view,' he said. Layla shook her head and mimed being sick.

'Whatever, but if I catch you looking again, I'll punch your teeth out. Ok?' She told him. Merle chuckled and walked off. Daryl kept his head down, and Layla touched his arm. 'We didn't mean to spy on you,' he said. Layla smiled, and Daryl looked up at her.

'That's ok, at least you looked away. But the world has ended, you know. Modesty ain't really high on my priorities.' She smiled and walked back to camp. She sat next to Shane, who asked her about her hometown. She told him about England and what it was like. Merle watched her for most of the evening, winking at her every so often, which only made her laugh. She never saw the looks Daryl gave her, he watched her for the rest of the evening, never taking his eyes off her.

Layla woke the next morning to the sounds of an argument. She stumbled out of her tent, wearing only her underwear and a stolen shirt of Daryl's. 'Whats going on?' She asked, rubbing her eyes and moving her hair out of her face. Daryl and Ed were having a standoff. Ed was in Daryl's face, and Daryl looked ready for a fight. Merle came up, and moved Daryl away. He got in Ed's face and stared him down. 'Something wrong, Ed?' Merle asked. Layla moved over to Daryl, watching him closely. 'Nothin' Merle. Your brother was just being mouthy.' Ed said, moving away. Layla shook her head and turned away. 'You stealing my little brothers clothes now?' Merle called after her. She stuck her fingers up at him and climbed back into the tent to get some more sleep.

She woke again after noon, and she pulled her shorts on, and stumbled out of the tent. Daryl's shirt was way too big for her, but it was comfortable. She padded over to the camp, and sat next to Carol. There was a bruise just below her eye. Layla frowned, and swore under her breath. Merle noticed her reaction and nodded at her. Something was going on with Ed. He sure didn't seem like a nice person.

Layla was laying in the middle of camp, watching Lori cut Carl's hair, and chatting with Shane. Daryl was cleaning his crossbow, Merle was sprawled out next to him, chain smoking. She heard shouting and she turned to find the source. Carol came out of her tent, her face red, holding her arm to her side. Layla went over to her, she had a handprint across her face, and a red hand mark on her arm where someone had been holding on too tight. Layla looked at her, and shook her head. Ed stumbled out of the tent and nearly knocked her over. 'Watch where you going jerk off.' She said. Ed stopped and turned to face her.

'What'd you say to me?' He asked menacingly.

'I said, watch where you're going jerk off.' Layla repeated stubbornly. Ed shook his head and moved closer. Daryl and Merle shot to their feet. 'You better watch your mouth, or I'll shut it for ya,' he threatened. Layla snorted and turned away. As she did so she felt someone move behind her and she turned just in time to move out of the way of Ed's fist. In an instant she was spitting mad. She punched Ed right on the nose, hearing the satisfying crack and knowing that she'd broken it. Ed howled in pain, and ran towards her, but before he could even get close, Merle and Daryl tackled him to the ground. Daryl got right in his face and Merle held him to the ground. 'Go anywhere near her again, and we'll kill you. Understand?' Daryl threatened, holding him by the throat. He squeezed once and then let go.

Layla swayed where she stood, all the energy drained out of her. She hadn't been in a fight like that since Shay. Her ex boyfriend, and a mean son of a bitch. He thought that he could push her around, but boy was he wrong. He hit her once, and broke her cheekbone. He ended up in hospital with broken ribs, and a broken arm. Daryl stood up and walked over to her. He checked her hand, paying attention to her knuckles. 'You ok?' He muttered. She nodded, and smiled.

'Thank you, for helping.' She said softly. Daryl nodded and shrugged.

'Wasn't about to let him hurt you,' he mumbled. Layla smiled and gave him a quick hug.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, I know I havent updated in awhile, but I have no computer, so :'( bad bad times. However, I have quite a bit of this story written, so I'm going to see if I can update using my phone. However, technology hates me, so we shall see.. Enjoy this chapter, and please let me know what you think :) **

Later that day she was sitting with Merle and Daryl, her head resting on Daryl's shoulder. Shane appeared and asked if he could speak to her. 'Sure, what's up?' She asked, shielding her eyes from the sun. Shane shrugged and sat down next to them.

'Glenn's going to the city to get some supplies. You seem pretty street smart, wondered if you wanted to go with him?' He asked. Layla thought about it. She needed to do something,

'Who else is going?' She asked.

'Andrea, Jacqui, T-Dog, Glenn, and maybe a couple more,' he told her. Layla shook her head. Going in big groups was dangerous and she wasn't risking it. 'I'll go,' Merle said. Shane thought for a moment, and then nodded. Layla looked at Merle. 'You sure?' She asked him. Merle shrugged. 'Sure, it'll get me out of camp. I'm bored shitless here.' Layla giggled and nodded. Daryl poked her in the ribs, and she giggled again. 'What was that for?' She asked, giggling. Daryl shrugged, 'just cause.' Layla laughed and poked him in the ribs. Daryl winced and she laughed. She scrambled to her feet before he could catch her. She stuck her tongue out at him, and wandered off.

That night Layla couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, but no matter what she did, she couldn't drift off. She sat up, and dug through her bags until she found her favourite book. She turned on her flashlight, and pulled her duvet over her head. She read Harry Potter, until the light started creeping into the tent. Suddenly her duvet was pulled from her, and she blinked taking in the bright light. Merle grinned at her. 'Asshole,' she muttered, turning off her flashlight and putting her book back in her bag. She stood up, and climbed out of the tent. She sat next to Lori at the campfire, her arms wrapped around her legs. She laid her head on her knees, singing softly. She lit a cigarette, and hummed to herself. She missed music so much. She didn't really know what to do with herself. Merle sat next to her, and nudged her shoulder. Daryl sat on the other side, and they leaned against her. At least she'd found a family here. At least she wasn't on her own.

The day went quickly, Layla read for most of the day. She'd helped with the washing, and was just about to get up and help with dinner, when Daryl came over. 'I'm going hunting. Gonna get some decent meat for everyone. Merle will be back soon. You look after yourself, ok?' He said. Layla nodded, and hugged him. 'You too, don't take any risks,' she murmured. Daryl nodded, she smiled and waved as he headed off. Layla sat with Carol, helping to prepare dinner, when a loud noise penetrated the camp. It sounded like a car alarm. A red sports car shot up the hill and into camp. Glenn got out, and Shane and Dale went over. Amy jumped up to ask where Andrea was. Layla shrugged and focused on peeling the potatoes.

When she looked up, Lori and Carl were hugging a new guy. This must be Carl's dad, she thought. She looked for Merle, but couldn't see him. She put the knife down, and stood up. She went over to the new guy. 'Hi, I'm Layla,' she said, holding her hand out. He shook it and smiled. 'I'm Rick, Lori's husband, and Carl's dad.' Layla nodded.

'So you met up with them in Atlanta?' She asked. Rick nodded. 'So where's Merle?' She asked sharply. Glenn, T-Dog, and Rick winced. 'Look, Merle was causing some trouble, so I had to handcuff him to a pole to stop him. Then we got stuck and had to get out quickly.' Layla shook her head. 'I had the key, but I dropped it. Down a drain.' T-Dog said. Layla was shaking with anger. 'So you left him up there!?' She screamed. 'To be eaten alive! How dare you!' She punched T-Dog in the jaw, and Rick went to grab her but she elbowed him in the stomach, and landed a blow to the side of the head. Shane came up and grabbed her arms, holding them behind her back. She threw her head back and hit him in the nose, he immediately let go.

'You assholes!' She shouted. She wiped away the tears that had made their way down her face. Shane and Rick started to move forwards. She pulled out her knife. 'If any one of you touches me again, I will not hesitate to hurt you. You understand?' She spat. They nodded. 'Good, now stay away from me all of you.' She stomped off to her tent. Inside she curled up into a ball, and sat sobbing. Merle had been good to her, watched out for her and made her feel safe. He had taken her in, and made her part of his family. Now he was gone, and whatever grip she'd had on life had slipped away.

She didn't sleep that night, she sat by the campfire, while the others slept, waiting for Daryl to get back. In the morning, when the others got up, she retreated back into her tent, ignoring Carol who was calling for her. She heard a commotion, and peeked out of her tent, Daryl was back. She climbed out of the tent and made her way over to him. She listened, as they told him what happened, stood silently while he attacked them, and Shane and Rick teamed up on him. When they let him go, she took his hand, and she nodded at him. He touched her cheek. 'We'll go get him, we'll bring him back,' he said. Layla nodded.

'Now?' She asked, and Daryl nodded.

'Yep, go get ready,' he said, and she hurried to the tent to get her rucksack and weapons.

When she came back out, Rick was talking to Daryl, about coming with them. Layla shook her head annoyed. 'I'm not going anywhere with them, Daryl.' She told him. He nodded.

'I need back up.' He said. Layla nodded and gave him a hug.

'Go bring Merle back, and come back safe, you hear me?' She told him. Daryl nodded. She watched them go, feeling anxious. She'd already lost one brother, she couldn't lose the other. She spent the day laying in the tent. She didn't do anything, she just lay there, looking at the ceiling and worrying about Daryl and Merle. She joined the others for dinner, Andrea and Amy had caught a load of fish. They ate well, and Layla kept an eye out for Daryl and Merle.

Amy screamed, and she turned to see walkers flooding the camp. Shane yelled at them all to get to the RV, and she directed people over. A walker headed for her and she pulled her knife and stabbed it in the eye. She turned and took another down, fighting her way to the RV. Shots rang out into the night, and eventually the walkers lay truly dead, as well as many of their people. She turned and came face to face with Daryl. He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. 'You're ok,' he mumbled. She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest. He sat her down by the fire, and took her hands in his. 'Did you find Merle?' She asked. Daryl nodded. 'Where is he?' She wondered, looking for him. 'He'd escaped. Cut off his hand. Cauterized it properly, so he's alive. But we got no hope of finding him now.' Layla nodded. She fell asleep her head in Daryl's lap.

When she woke, she was curled up in the tent, Daryl fast asleep next to her. She sat up slowly, her eyes swollen, she was tired and sad, and she knew it wouldn't get better for a while. She lit a cigarette and sat quietly. 'Hey,' Daryl said, sitting up. He took her hand, and she smiled. 'Knew you could still smile,' he said. She smiled harder. She passed him a cigarette, and they sat in silence for a while. Eventually, they climbed out of the tent, and began the long, gross process of cleaning up the camp. Layla worked hard, burying the members of their camp that hadn't made it. She cleaned up at the lake, with Daryl standing watch. She put fresh clothes on, and they made their way back to camp, his arm around her shoulders.

They set off, going to the CDC. Layla curled up in the truck with Daryl, a blanket draped over her. She felt a little lost, she'd found a family, and lost half of it. It wasn't right. Daryl coaxed a conversation out of her, and she told him about her childhood. Daryl told her stories of the things him and Merle used to do. They made a stop a few hours later. The RV needed fixing again. Layla stayed in the truck, when Daryl climbed back in, he patted her shoulder. They arrived at the CDC before nightfall, and Layla grabbed her things, and she and Daryl followed the others towards the building. The place was crawling with walkers. Some definitely dead and some watching them, moving slowly towards the group. Rick shouted out, trying to get the doors open. Soon there was an argument, and Layla stood watching. Then bright lights shone from the building and a voice blared out. 'Get your things, once those doors close, they remain closed.'

They hurried inside, the doors slamming shut behind them. A tall, blonde haired guy greeted them, a machine gun in his hands. 'I'm Dr Jenner, You'll all have to have blood tests,' he said. Rick nodded. They followed him to room, where one by one he took blood samples. Layla sat very still, wincing when the needle went in. Daryl hovered nearby, and when she stood up, her head went fuzzy, she wobbled, and he caught her, leading her over to a chair. 'Are you ill?' Jenner asked. Layla shook her head, watching as Jacqui helped Andrea up, who was shaking. 'We haven't eaten in days,' Jacqui said. 'Well, let's fix that then.' He said.

They sat at a big table, eating and laughing, enjoying wine, and other alcohol. Layla sat with Daryl and Glenn, downing vodka and cokes. Daryl and Glenn were having a drinking contest, and Layla laughed watching Glenn get ever more drunk, while Daryl stayed pretty much sober. Layla laughed as Glenn slumped forward in his chair, and fell asleep, snoring gently. Daryl lead her back to their room, and she jumped in the shower. She came out in a towel, and Daryl headed into the bathroom, she dried quickly, and put underwear on, and one of Daryl's shirts. She sat on the bed, and waited for Daryl. He came out eventually, his hair dripping and wearing the same clothes. He looked at her and she smiled. She stood up, about to get into bed, when he took her hand. Her head felt dizzy, she realised just how much she'd drunk. Daryl pulled her to him, and kissed her. Layla was shocked at first, but then responded, kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her tightly, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She pulled back breathing hard. Daryl smiled, and she returned it with one of her own. She climbed into bed, and patted the space next to her. Daryl lay beside her, and she laid her head on his chest. Soon she was fast asleep.


End file.
